Darkfire
by carbonhchi
Summary: Something's different about Starfire. BB and Rae figure it out...but will the others believe them? Rating for some possible minor violence. ...Did I even ever finish this?
1. Chapter 1

So I cleaned up the look of this thing, since I have to keep going. I gave my word, did I not? Ahem Please proceed.

Chapter One

A figure hovered in the cold night air, waiting. She had been sent for one purpose, but she was too distracted to think about her mission. The rain didn't help her situation at all, seeing as the only clothes she wore were designed for summer. And summer this wasn't.

"I'm here, B, what now?" She spoke softly into her wristband communicator. Nearby lightning illuminated her soaked red-orange hair.

"Act like you own the place – but discreetly. Be like your subject, don't overdo it, and remember your mission. We don't want to get sidetracked, do we?" The voice on the other line sounded irritated, as if remembering some past mistake.

The figure rolled her eyes, saying, "But what do I do _now_?"

"Get in there and complete your mission! This is the real deal, what you've been training for your whole life. And _don't_ mess it up!" The line went dead.

"Great," she said. "Thanks a lot." _Who picked out these stupid clothes!_ She shivered. The girl flew to the door, preparing for the greatest performance of her life.

...

"How much longer is she gonna be away?" asked Cyborg.

"She said 'not long,' but I don't know." Robin sighed. Starfire had gone to Tamaran to visit her Galfor and see how he was doing. The safety of her home planet had been a priority ever since she found it in the ruthless hands of her sister, Blackfire.

"Well, until she gets back, we'll have to do without her," Raven commented.

"Do you _always_ have to be the voice of reason?" Beast Boy asked. He was sitting on the couch next to Cyborg, who was feeling a little sad. But BB was tickling Silkie, making the creature giggle and squirm.

Cyborg had missed having Star's cheerful aura around the tower. "No, that's Robin's job, too." The boys high-fived, and he began to feel better.

"Yeah, they sure get—" he was interrupted by the swish of the door as a dripping wet figure came in.

"It is – er, I believe the term is – 'raining cats and dogs'?" smiled Starfire as she approached the group.

"Starfire? Wow…uh, you're back soon," Robin smiled.

"Just like she said, huh?" Raven mumbled.

He shot her a look, and then directed his attention back to the wet girl. "Why didn't you call? We woulda picked you up with the ship."

"Because the phone lines were down…I mean, I tried…"

Raven and Beast Boy exchanged looks of disbelief, and she said, "What about the communicators?"

"Oh! I did not think of that…"

_Something's not right here…_ Beast Boy thought. Silky wriggled in his arms, and Star's eyes grew wide. "He missed you," BB said, raising him up to her.

"Uhh, no thank you, friend, not right now…" she shook her hands.

"Hungry Star? I could fix ya somethin'," Cyborg got up and walked to the kitchen, followed by Robin and Starfire.

Beast Boy sat on the couch with the oversized larva. _Didn't anyone notice she was different? She had a _ponytail_ for crying out loud!_ "And she was wearing blue," he murmured to Silkie, rubbing the creature's stomach.

Rae leaned next to his head and whispered, "We need to talk later. My room."

He gave her the thumbs up. _Maybe they're just too excited to notice the changes she's made._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Later that evening, Raven and Beast Boy sat on his bed, discussing Star's new changes.

"It's not just her appearance, Raven. She didn't want to hold Silkie!" Beast Boy cuddled the mutated larva.

"I know. She feels different. I don't know…kinda like…" she stopped and looked away.

"Kinda like what?"

An awkward silence struck and their eyes met.

"Kinda like Terra after her training with Slade," she said softly.

"What do you mean?" he inquired slowly.

She felt uncomfortable. Obviously, she had hit a nerve. "Look, it's no offence, but Terra felt — and Star does, too — like she had some evil force behind her, some ulterior motives."

He processed her words, and finally broke the silence. "You were right the first time, but Starfire?" It was clear that it pained him to talk about Terra, especially her betrayal.

"I don't know, really. I'm just throwing things on the ground, seeing how they bounce. What do you think?"

His eyes closed, he shook his head, putting Silkie down. His legs dropped off the bed. "I don't know either. We can't ask the guys…"

"No, they'd be in the dark."

"Guess we'll just have to see tomorrow, huh?"

"Well," Rae said, getting up. "I'm going to see _tonight_. You might want to be a fly on the wall, if you get my jist…I'll do the talking, though, okay?"

He smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

...

"What _is_ that thing, anyway?" Star asked her wristband.

"Some…maggot thing…your subject's pet. Don't forget to be in character, Darkfire," it said back.

"You mean…you mean I have to _touch it_!"

"If that gets your mission complete, then yes. _Touch it! Love it! It – is – your – pet!_"

Darkfire gave a sound of disgust. "But it's _gross_."

"Too bad. Do what it takes."

"Yes, Blackfire. Darkfire out." She clicked off the communicator just as she heard a knock on her door. She walked over, a stupid look on her face, and opened the door.

"Star? Can we talk?" Raven brushed past her, letting herself in.

"Okay…"

"You seem…different today. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything is fine."

"How is your Galfor?"

My_what_? "Uhh…fine also."

Raven narrowed her eyes. Star wasn't usually this quiet. A fly buzzed around the girls.

"You're sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I am okay."

"Alright," she said, getting up. "See you tomorrow then."

When Raven was gone, Darkfire sat down on Star's bed. "This is gonna be tough…"

...

Beast Boy hurried to Raven's toom, his hands clasped together. Once inside her room, he called to her through the dark.

The lights instantly came on, and he saw her on her bed, wide awake. "What took you so long? I left three minutes ago."

"Yeah, well, she kept doing weird things…y'know, for Starfire… But look at this!" He opened his hands and put them in front of her.

She examined his hands. "I don't see anything," she said dryly.

He rolled his eyes and held up a piece of orange hair.

"And…? It's a hair."

"A hair from Darkfire's head," he smirked.

She was confused. "What? Who's Darkfire?"

"And to think _I'm_ the one who's teased…" he muttered. "Okay. Darkfire is the girl _posing_ as Starfire."

"Can you tell me _why_?" she asked, her voice showing a hint of irritation.

"Uhhh…no?" he smiled sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay… Then what's with the hair?"

"I'm thinking DNA test."

"Hmmm…" she smiled. "Okay, DNA test it is. But when?"

"When everyone's asleep. _Nobody_ can know!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The storm outside raged furiously on, beating the windows with an eerie sound. In one of the many sanitized lab rooms in the monstrous T-shaped building, Raven and Beast Boy were running a DNA test on a hair they had taken from Darkfire. Or, rather, Raven was.

"Hey Raven, what does this thing do?" asked Beast Boy, holding up a blowtorch.

"Put that down!" Raven said, annoyed. She telekinetically yanked it from his grip without even looking, moving it to the far side of the room. "I don't even know why that's here…" she mumbled.

"Can I do anything to help?"

"Doubt it." She looked through a microscope while the computer beside her beeped and ran lines and numbers across the monitor. "Just sit down. I'm almost done."

He sat in a chair, crossed his arms, and proceeded to whistle softly. His noises soon grew louder, and, as he got louder, Raven got angrier. "Okay, come here! Just stop whistling!"

He jumped to his feet, hurried to her side, and peered over her shoulder. "So… How does this test thing work again?"

She sighed, irritated. "I took a hair from Starfire's brush – one I _know_ Darkfire didn't use because she left it in my room – and cross-referenced it with the one _you_ got. I'm comparing the two under high magnification, and, so far, they look identical."

"So… How does this test thing work again?"

She rubbed her temples angrily, muttering, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"

"Uhh… sorry…" He backed up and sat down in his chair again. This time he didn't whistle. He just twiddled his thumbs and thought about his video games.

Raven was positive the hairs were completely alike, but until the computer confirmed her thought, she wouldn't say a word. The computer made a different beep and sputtered out a scrap of paper. She glanced at it, put it down, and turned off the microscope, turning to Beast Boy. "They're the same."

...

"Don't try and struggle, _sister dear_. It's useless."

Starfire's blood ran cold and the hair on her neck stood on end. Blackfire's voice sounded different somehow. She sounded…evil...the characteristic satirical mockery was gone, and in its place was something ominous. "I will struggle anyway, for if I don't hope, I will surely lose." Starfire couldn't see, even with the glow of her hands. It was like the room was cloaked in evil.

Blackfire laughed. Dark, sinister, and cold. "Typical. Struggle then. See if I care. You won't get free, though. Even with _your_ strength you couldn't get out of those chains." Star could hear her coming closer, but couldn't see a thing. "Oh. The darkness," Blackfire said, seeing the confusion on her sister's face. "I altered your DNA so you would be blind. Temporarily, unfortunately. The _pathetic_ and _sad_ excuses for scientists I employ haven't figured out how to permanently blind you. Yet. It seems the fabric of your DNA heals itself faster than they expected. I _did_ tell them that you were Tamaranian, but that means nothing to them…"

"Please be quiet on the subject of my blindness," interrupted Starfire. She looked the fact in the eye, neither worrying nor giving the older girl satisfaction.

"Very well," Blackfire replied. "I'm in a good mood."

"Why have you done this?"

"Oh, so we're moving on to the Q and A, are we? Fine, fine… I'll explain my baleful plot. But only for the sake of tradition. I would much prefer to leave you in the dark." She paused, and then chuckled. "Indeed, on more than one level…" The sound of a chair scraping across a concrete floor echoed in the small, damp room, grating on Starfire's eardrums. Her sister was now feet away from her. "I intercepted your ship home from Tamaran just two days ago—"

"Tell me what I do not know!" Starfire was growing bitter; this hardly seemed the time for manners. "From the _beginning_." Her teeth ground together in disgust.

Smirking, Blackfire continued: "From two days ago, or from the day you were born?"


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: this chap has some Starfire angst, but very little. And not very graphic. Please enjoy, and critique me if you didn't like anything! This chapter is quite awkward in my opinion, but is also a necessary turning point (one of a few actually)._

* * *

Chapter 4

"How old am I sister?" Blackfire asked the chained Tamaranian.

"You are five years older than I." Starfire kept her head down. Her vision was beginning to come back, but she didn't want to let Blackfire know yet.

"Good girl. You must understand: I've been evil ever since I learned mother was pregnant with you. I'll admit jealousy; I didn't want you to be born. I was the center of attention, the main attraction. So I hatched a plan…"

...

"What do you think her story is?" Beast Boy wondered aloud. They were holding a secret meeting in Raven's room, late at night of course.

"I have no idea." The two Titans had figured out Darkfire's secret, but the next step was discovering the why, how, and who behind the mysterious character's appearance.

"Maybe she's a robot."

"What?" Raven looked up. "That's the stupidest thing you've said all night." They had been brainstorming for the past three hours, mostly in silence, trying to unravel the obscurity of the situation. They had come up with little to nothing, ideas so outrageous and impossible, one might wonder if it could be true.

"I'm just saying, is all." He sighed resoundingly. He was about to give up, tell Raven he was going to sleep and that he'd see her tomorrow, but she suddenly gasped and looked up at him, catching his eye.

"What if she's a…a clone?"

...

"So I hatched a plan…I cloned you." This got the desired reaction form Starfire, who looked up, unbelieving the fact that was presented to her. She concentrated on nothing with her eyes, blurring them and darting them around.

"Clone?"

"Yes, stupid, clone!" She could see Blackfire wipe her face in one sweep, aghast. "These same scientists, who can't permanently blind a person, created life! An exact replica! One of these days, I swear…"

"How did this happen? And why? And…and…and how?"

"Simply put: your DNA went into the tube, and a few years ago, out came Darkfire, my greatest achievement as to date." Blackfire was on her feet, her arms raised above her head in triumph. "She's on her life mission as we speak – the mission she trained the past _three years _for."

Starfire swallowed; she was afraid to ask. "What…what mission is this?" she stammered.

"Why, to take your place. Eventually, she will earn their trust, turn them against you, and you will be an outcast."

"That is it? That is your plan?" Starfire was dumbfounded. Surely there was more to it than this.

"Well…no. There is _one_ more thing."

"What? What is it?" She didn't like the sound of her sister's voice. Yes, it was still cold and cruel, but it had mockery in it.

"Once _you're_ out of the picture, I can finally defeat them."

Starfire prodded still further. "But why not just take me prisoner, defeating my friends without the clone? And how is it that you came up with this plan when you were four? What will you do with me? How do you plan on finishing this goal?"

"All excellent questions. The first one is obvious; the Teen Titans would go looking for you. Duh. The second one is more intricate, and that is the one I wish for you to know, if only for the sake of your comprehension of my genius and termination of loopholes and/or flaws." Starfire hated it when Blackfire acted pompous. She used uncommon words, inserting the occasional technical term to sound important. "A week after the _dreadful_ news came to me, I had a dream. A vision, if you will. It was that of your smiting me to the dust of Tamaran, humiliating me in front of the entire world. I awoke sweating, but somehow calmed myself down enough to fall back asleep. The next vision I had was that of you and your clone. Now at the time I thought it was your twin, but I saw how very different you would be. I saw myself, the age I am now, standing with these _moronic_ scientists, beaming over my work. You were an outcast, downtrodden and burdened by a meager survival. And I liked it."

"You're pure evil!" Starfire shouted, jumping up from her defeated position on the floor. She didn't try to hide her rapidly healing vision, nor did she attempt to conceal her burning anger. She was standing now, tugging at the chains for all she was worth. But it wasn't enough. Tears streaming down her face, she cried out in despair. Blackfire laughed bitterly, taking great pleasure in her suffering. Star fell back to her spot, letting the tears flow freely. She didn't care anymore about herself, but feared for her friends. What would happen if the clone didn't do what she was instructed? What if she took matters into her own hands and wrecked havoc on the Titans?

Blackfire left the musty concrete room, locking the door behind her. "Keep an eye on her, she is beginning to heal," she said to the three guards.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Back at Titan Tower…

Beast Boy slipped noiselessly out of the testing room, his pocket bulging with the disc he'd written. He stole down the hallway, slunk down the stairs, and snuck into the Tower's computer room. It had all the technological aspects of the Tower, mostly composed into four computers. Entertainment was on the first computer, it being a staple in the Titans' lives; security and structure information was stored on the second; and everything else was on the third, from personal backgrounds of the Titans and their enemies to their webpage to a map of the city. But on the fourth computer was top-secret elements that only Cyborg had access to. Nobody else had the slightest clue as to what was on it; they each had their suspicions, but evidence was denied at every turn. Cyborg had build firewall upon firewall upon firewall, with long-chained access codes and voice-recognised startup commands. However, as each Titan knew, all one had to do was press any key, and Cyborg's mechanical sensors would silently alert him to their presence.

Beast Boy selected his any key and waited for the computer to do its stuff. Not a minute later, Cyborg burst into the room, flipped the switch, and cast his angry gaze upon the small green boy. "I was hoping you'd be quieter…" Beast Boy said timidly.

"What are you doin'?" roared Cyborg. Not only was somebody touching his personal computer, that somebody had done it on purpose. _And_ he was up in the middle of the night.

"Trying to wake you up. _Just_ you." Beast Boy motioned for his friend to sit down. "Chill out, would ya?"

Minutes passed before Cyborg had calmed down. At least it wasn't a burglar. "All right. Would you tell me what's goin' on here?"

BB handed him the disc as his answer. He cocked his eyebrow before looking away, as his friend started up his mainframe. The setup was finally complete. He popped the CD in, opened the appropriate program, and tried to ignore Beast Boy's sounds of awe.

"Dude! You've got the coolest games on here! I didn't even know that Super Tiger Hydro Racer VI was out yet! How'd you get it?"

"I buy from the best," he mumbled, struggling to concentrate."What _is_ this disc, Beast Boy?"

"Oh, it's just a DNA test of Darkfire that Raven and I ran last night," he said casually. "But don't tell her! Or Robin! Or Darkfire! It's gotta be between you and me!"

"Who's Darkfire, BB? And why do these chains look just like Starfire's DNA?" Beast Boy gave him time to process what he'd just said. "No way. _No way_! That's impossible!" Cyborg looked at Beast Boy with astonishment. "Isn't it?"

"Obviously not. She's a clone, alright. What's your take?"

His mechanical fingers raced, but his mind went faster. He pulled up Starfire's file as a comparable, then typed some more. "She's a few days younger than the original. The original being, of course, Starfire herself. She's the same in every way, except age and personality." He leaned back in his chair, the weight of the situation pushing down on him. "I don't get it… Why would anyone clone Starfire? And how? And _who_?"

"Welcome to my world, dude," smiled Beast Boy. "Well, Raven doesn't know either, but we can't go asking her."

"Yeah…" He saved the new file, ejected the disc, and shut off the computer. "Here," he said, handing the CD back to Beast Boy, "get rid of it. We don't need any more evidence."

"Done and done! Oh, and what are we gonna do about this?"

Cyborg turned off the lights and closed the door behind the two of them. His sighed heavily. "I don't know. But whatever it is, we gotta do it soon. 'Cause if Darkfire's here, then where's Starfire?"

...

Raven thought she'd heard someone talking, but she couldn't be sure. She phased her head through her door in time to see Cyborg closing his. She heard Beast Boy collapse on his bed, muttering. "This is my chance," she whispered. The rest of her body appeared in the hallway before disappearing into Robin's room. She looked around. It'd been awhile since she'd been in here, and Robin had done some redecorating. "Robin…" she called gently. "Robin, wake up." She reached his bed and shook the boy under the covers.

"Wha…" His voice was groggy, his body limp. His face was buried in his pillow, muffling his words. "Who…"

"Robin," whispered Raven, shaking him. "Robin, it's me, Raven."

His hand shot toward a small table by his bedside, grasping his mask. He fumbled with it for a few moments before sitting up. "What is it, Raven? What do you need?" He tried to sound sincere, but couldn't hide the irritation in his voice.

"Come quickly, we don't have much time. The others will be awake soon." She knew for a fact that Beast Boy slept in, but Cyborg was always up early, working on his computers. "I need to show you something."

She managed to get him into the testing room, although not without difficulty. She turned on the computer that she and Beast Boy had used the previous night, opening the file with Darkfire's DNA. "Robin, look at this."

He was lying on the healing bed, his hands underneath his head. Raven rolled her eyes and levitated him up. She dropped him on the chair next to her, and he snapped awake. "Sorry, I'm here."

"Check this out," she pointed to the screen. "Look familiar?" They had all studied each other's files, including their DNA, personalities, likes and dislikes, etc.

"It's Starfire's DNA strand. Why?" He yawned and rubbed the back of his head.

"No, it's not. It's _Darkfire's_ DNA." She thought he was looking at the moniter, but she couldn't be sure due to the mask. "Are you getting this?"

He shook his head. "Yeah, I get it. Starfire was cloned at an early age. That clone, this Darkfire, has replaced her, and is now in our midst, probably learning all of our secrets and defenses."

Raven was impressed. "Right… that's our theory."

"'Our'?"

"Beast Boy and I retrieved a strand of her hair and ran this test on it last night. But he doesn't know you know. You can't tell anyone, got it?"

He rubbed his eye, or the eye under his mask. "Sure. But who? And why? And how?"

"No clue. I was actually hoping you could shed some light on it…"

"Not at this hour. I'll think about it later. When it's light." He yawned again, leaving the room. "Honestly, I knew she was different, but I didn't want to admit it. See you tomorrow, Raven."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next day was awkward – Darkfire claimed to be sick and spent most of it in her room. Beast Boy and Cyborg hung out together while Raven and Robin separated themselves from everyone else. All in all, it was a quiet and boring day.

Until the Titan alarm sounded.

"Trouble!" called Robin through the communicators, and they all met in the front room. Darkfire avoided eye contact, coughing weakly every now and again.

"She's a really bad actress," mumbled Beast Boy to Cyborg.

Robin began to explain the mission; Dr. Light had escaped. Again. Raven smiled to herself. Beast Boy and Cyborg bumped fists. But Darkfire protested.

"Friend Robin, surely it would be okay if I stayed home and did not kick the butt?" Her voice was flawless, but she still didn't convince anyone.

"No, not today, Starfire. We're gonna need all the help we can get. Ready Titans?" He led the way through the double doors and into the garage. Cyborg started the T-Car while they all climbd in, then waited for Robin's lead on his motorcycle. Beast Boy sat in the front with Cyborg, secretly exchanging knowing glances. The girls were in the back, much to their disappointment. Raven didn't want anything to do with the girl; Darkfire seemed to send the same message. Nonetheless…

"So, Starfire, what're your symptoms?" she asked, turning to look at her. She looked exactly the same; she had taken down her ponytail and changed into the clothes in the closet.

"I, uhh…have a stuffed head and a cough, and feel…I feel…dizzy," she managed. She didn't make eye contact once.

...

Inside, Raven had enjoyed defeating Dr. Light. Again. It was so easy, and the guy just had no chance. She had even flown him to Jump City Jail, just to get her point across: don't mess with The Teen Titans. Well, mostly her. But same thing.

She flew back to the Tower, only to find that her friends were having a discussion. A _loud_ discussion. She counted three Titans in the front room, each yelling at someone else. fingers were being pointed, names being shouted, and facts being thrown around. She located Darkfire with her mind: she was sitting on Starfire's bed, using a comlink of some sort. _No matter,_ she thought. _Her ploy will be up soon…_

"Hey," she said, walking over. Nobody noticed. "Hey!" she said, louder. They still ignored her. Frustrated, she slapped a black mark over each of their mouths. "You're acting like children. _What_ is the matter here?"

Beast Boy raised his hand, and she let them all go. "Well, it seems that, _somehow_, Robin knows about you-know-who."

"BB, we _all_ know. You _can_ use her name," Cyborg sighed.

"But _she_ doesn't know we know. And she can't." Robin turned to Raven. "I'm sorry. I overheard them talking about her and I couldn't help myself. I wanted to know what they knew."

Moments of silence followed, and Raven looked around the circle at downcast faces. They had a stranger in their midst, posing as one of their closest friends, and they didn't know why. Or how. Or even who was behind it. all they had to go on was that she was an exact clone of Stafire.

"Okay." Raven made sure everyone's eyes were on her. "So we all know. What do we do about it? She's obviously not getting any information, because she spends most of her time in Starfire's room. Any suggestions?"

Robin was the first to speak. "We need to confront her. Not all at once, but just one of us." It sounded crazy, but it could work. They desperately needed a move here. "We just have to play it right. But… who'll go?"

Once more, all eyes turned to Raven. "Me? But Robin's the closest to her."

"Yes, but _you're_ a girl. And I know _nothing_ about Darkfire." Everyone was grinning now. Raven was best at controlling her emotions, so she wouldn't blow it. And she'd talked to the girl more than any of them.

"Alright," she said after some hesitation. "But on _my_ time. And _my_ way. _I_ come up with my own plan, got it?"

"Sure, sure," Robin said, and the others agreed. "Just get it done _tonight_."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Raven knocked on the door to Starfire's room quietly, trying not to wake the others. She still hadn't come up with a good plan; she'd have to wing it. Several moments passed before the door whooshed open, and Raven was face to face with Darkfire. "May I come in?" she whispered sweetly.

Darkfire stuck her head out into the hallway, looked both ways, and then pulled it back in, shrugging. She yawned and stretched, taking her seat on the bed. But she left the door open, and Raven slipped in. _Okay, what now?_

"What is it, friend Raven?" asked the girl sleepily. She sounded just like Starfire.

"Look," she said, taking the offensive. "Your ruse no longer amuses me. I know who you are, and I want answers. Now." Raven decided not to let the girl know that the others were aware of her presence, too. At first, Darkfire kept up her ploy, acting innocent. But Raven crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. "Okay, _Darkfire_. If you won't talk, maybe I should contact your boss, hmm?"

Darkfire's face drained of its color, and she clutched at her wristband. "No! Okay, I'll talk. But promise, _promise_ you won't call her."

_Her._ Raven pretended to think for a moment. "Deal."

Darkfire then proceeded to tell her tale – the tale of how she was cloned, trained, and harshly treated, all for this mission. She explained that her employer, she called her "B," had blackmailed her into servitude after she realized that Darkfire was planning on escaping.

"But what did she use to blackmail you with?"

She got no reply, only an uncomfortable look and a passive argument. She told of how she was dumped on earth in the clothing they had seen her in, and how she really was sick that first night, due to the storm.

"But what exactly _is_ your mission?" Raven asked, confused. So far she had a first initial, or what she _thought_ was a first initial, and no sound evidence.

Darkfire took a shaky breath before continuing. "My mission was to earn your trust, deceive you, and leave you vulnerable for destruction. By _her_." She looked down, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "I'm really sorry. I didn't want to do this, please understand." Her hand stroked her other arm, up and down, rubbing it as if to distract her mind.

Raven was speachless. She had thought that the girl was intentionally evil. "Darkfire…" she began, but she couldn't form any comforting thoughts. She reached over and put her hand on her shoulder, and stared straight into her now raised eyes. "I need to know what you're being blackmailed with."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Downstairs, in the living room, Raven sat, alone. All her past suspicions of the cloned girl called Darkfire had dissolved, leaving her with an empty plate. Of course, she'd tell the others, but not until cooperation was assured. Raven glanced at the clock. It was 5:37 AM, just two minutes since she last checked. She had gotten zero sleep the night before; she was haunted by the evil she had been introduced to. Raven didn't require much bodily sleep, but meditation helped both her mind and body, so maybe it would be okay to go a sleepless night.

She heard running water upstairs; Robin was finally up. Although the request for more time was urgent, Raven figured she could at least wait until he was _ready_.

After getting a reluctant green light from Robin, Raven headed upstairs again and into the Tamaranian girl's room. Robin had seemed a bit confused, but he understood. She just explained that although he wanted it done the night before, certain aspects of her plan required more time than he allotted.

She was now assuring Darkfire that she would be alright. The girl seemed understandably uncomfortable about turning on her boss, especially when blackmail was a factor.

"And you're absolutely sure that she won't find out?"

Raven sighed patiently. "Yes, I'm sure," she said for the seventh time. "As long as you cooperate, everything will go well."

Darkfire hesitated, on the brink of decision. "Alright," she said after a few moments' thought. "I'll help you guys."

The T-Ship was up and running, each Titan in their place. Darkfire sat in Starfire's chair, of course, but after a bit of instruction was running her stuff smoothly.

"You're quick with technology," commented Cyborg approvingly. "Sure you don't want to stay afterwards and join the team?"

"I'm sure," she replied, strapping in. "I've got some things I have to do back home."

_Back home_, thought Raven. There was that hint about her blackmail. She had been told that she had a family somewhere, being held prisoner by her employer. Raven didn't buy a word of it, but then again it wasn't her family.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The flight was long and quiet; none of the Titans wanted to be the first to disturb it. But it was eating at them. Here they were, with some strange and supposed clone of their best friend, flying through space to some place that could be a trap for all they knew. But they trusted Raven, who swore she was clean.

"So…" Beast Boy said. He couldn't stand it anymore. "What, uh… What're we gonna do when we get there?"

"Well," Robin answered, happy for a distraction from the agonizing quiet, "First we need to utilize the bait. Sorry, Darkfire," he said genuinely, "but you're really all we've got to go off of here."

"No problem," she said grimly. "Utilize away."

"Okay. The next logical step would be to find out how to take _B_ out." He thought a moment. "Darkfire, it would be really helpful if we knew who she was. Are you sure you won't tell us?"

Darkfire fell silent for a moment, her eyes shut to block out the electrical aspects of her tiny single compartment. She needed to weigh her options here. "I will," she said, her eyes now lifted. "She wouldn't like it, but I don't serve her anymore."

"So who's your mysterious employer?" Cyborg asked.

"I know her as the mighty one, but she goes by Blackfire."

There was a sharp intake of air as the other four occupants of the T-Sub gasped. "Why didn't we figure that out?" Robin asked, feeling foolish.

"Yeah," Beast Boy agreed. "I can understand _me_, but come on. You guys shoulda known better!"

"Not what he meant, Beast Boy." Raven kept her cool, knowing she'd need it later. He stuck out his tongue in reply.

"Knowing _that_," Robin said, his mind working away, "I can probably figure alter the plan before we get there."

"Will it involve Starfire?" asked Cyborg.

"Yes, we'll get her out and hope she's in a condition to fight. Let me think, I just need a few minutes…"

A few minutes later, Robin had his strategy ready; and the Titans were ready to hear it. "Darkfire, will Blackfire be fooled if you come back claiming to have completed the mission?"

"No, she won't. My mission is to stay with you. If I leave your side, she'll know something's up."

"Well it's a good thing you're coming along then," mumbled Raven. "Let's hear the plan," she said aloud.

"Okay, distraction is ruled out. But she's still the best chance at bait that we have. Raven?"

"Yes Robin?" she sounded surprised to say the least.

"Can you take Blackfire for awhile? With Darkfire's help, of course."

"What, like keep her busy?" asked the Tamaranian clone. "That's crazy! She'll know something's up as soon as we get there!"

"I can do it, Robin," answered Raven.

"Good. She won't know a thing. But _Raven_ will…"

...

Blackfire was in her personal room, musing over her findings. In actuality, her "room" was one whole level of the ship, specially outfitted to be soundproof, bullet-proof, and, more importantly, Raven-proof, all for her luxury. She had just found the location of the Disc of Æsthes, Overlord of Iisgon III. Legend told that the disc had immeasurable power, and, whoever wielded it would possess the strength, dexterity, and intellect of Æsthes herself. All Blackfire needed to do now was get the contact information and the disc was as good as hers.

"Mighty One!" the intercom buzzed. "Mighty One, this is Lieutenant Grihhs. I have urgent business!"

_This had better be good…_she thought. "What is it, Grihhs?" she spoke into the device.

"Unidentified spacecraft entering sector K8. Hailing attempts have been blocked, and they're coming in fast."

"I'm on my way," she gritted. The disc would have to wait a few more minutes. She was met in the spacious cockpit by confusion and alarms. "Bioscan?" she barked at the nearest high-ranking officer. He immediately sat down and ran one.

"Two life forms, female each. Nothing else aboard but electronics and some victuals."

She got a closer look at the live feed. "The T-Ship?" She paced the floor, her index finger unconsciously twitching against her chin. "We'll let them in, then find out what they want. There are five Titans, two of which are females. And I have _one_ of them in captivity."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Darkfire boarded the ship, using Raven as a shield. She had her hands tied behind her back, and Darkfire held a stripped and empty gun to her back as if keeping her hostage.

"_Move_," she growled, pushing the weapon further between the blades of Raven's shoulders.

"Sor-_ry_," whispered a seemingly half-asleep Raven. "I'm a little _distracted_ here."

The pair was met by a group of armed Tamaranian guards. One of them mumbled into a walkie-talkie, and, after a few moments' pause, got a muffled reply. He signaled to the leader, who in turn stepped up to the girls.

"Agent Darkfire, can you confirm or deny your identity?"

"I confirm," she said gruffly. She was on edge, her body stood rigid.

"Come with us," the guard said, and the group came from behind him to form a circle around the girls. "The Mighty One wants a word with you."

...

Meanwhile, floating through space at the mercy of Raven's meditation, the remaining three Titans approached the ship. They were encased by a black missile-shaped container, controlled by Raven's thoughts. She guided them to the weak point of the ship, graciously provided by Darkfire; Cyborg would blast a hole in the ship, his mechanical arm protruding through a gap created by Raven the instant he telepathically asked for it. Then she would pilot them through the hole, leaving them to find their missing teammate.

...

_They're in_, Raven thought to Darkfire, and received a subtle nod in return. Raven was pushed into a seat just outside the door Darkfire was ushered into. Two guards followed, leaving the rest to watch over Raven.

Inside, Blackfire was illuminated in a pitch black room, a ray of blue light shining down from an unknown source above her.

"Darkfire," she purred. "How…pleasant to see you again." Her face hardened, and her voice darkened. "One wonders, however, why you mysteriously appear on my ship, unannounced, with _one of the Teen Titans in your possession!_" Her voice had elevated, and she had stood up toward the end of her ranting.

"If I may explain—" started Darkfire weakly. She may have been a good actress, but she still cowered in the face of Blackfire's wrath.

"You may explain when I'm finished!" She sat back down, and her air changed once more; she was cool and collected, fully in control. "Your departure from Earth must have aroused suspicion; not to mention," she waved her hand in the direction of the door Darkfire had entered. "Not to mention bringing _her_ here! Are you even remotely aware of the power she is capable of? You were trained better than that!"

Darkfire waited patiently.

"I'm finished," exhaled Blackfire after several minute's time. "You may proceed."

The clone took a step closer, her countenance showing genuine concern. But her concern lay with the Titans and their safety, not with her mission of distraction. They needed at least ten minutes, they had told her. Once they had secured Starfire, Raven would telepathically let her know. And so ensued the distraction.

"I regret, O Mighty One, to inform Your Grace that my cover has been blown." She scowled to show discontent. "However, only the female outside this room knows my identity; the males are back on Earth, blissfully unaware."

"And _how _did you manage to leave them?"

"I simply requested bonding time with 'Friend Raven', saying we were going camping. Her objections to our leaving were accepted easily; it is well known she dislikes both bonding and camping."

Blackfire mused over these words before asking, "Just how did you get her here? And why _here_?"

"I drugged her. Even the Kra'le'Desh is part human." She paused. The question as to why hadn't previously occurred to her. "And…I figured you would like to interrogate, or possibly torture, the captive personally."

The idea appealed the Blackfire, as the girl knew it would, but the brief flash of pleasure was gone as she remembered the disobedience.

"Indeed. Nonetheless, you strayed from the mission. That constitutes for punishment."

Darkfire's arms were clasped and harshly forced together behind her back.

"Wait! No, you can't—" She was cut off by the whoosh of the doors, and found herself seated across the hall from Raven. The two girls' eyes met, and a mutual understanding was achieved: Starfire was out, time for phase two.

* * *

I made up the term Kra'le'Desh btw: Universal term meaning offspring of evil. Thought it was interesting…


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note: This chap has some sad parts…I guess…If you don't like it, leave forewarned!_

Chapter 11

They were in. The Titans had located Starfire's cell, beaten back the guards, and gained entrance. Now all that was left was was to get her out safely.

"Starfire?" Robin whispered cautiosly through the doorway. He couldn't see anything in the pitch black room; it was as if the light from the hall disappeared afew feet from the door. His olfactory senses were immediately filled with a dank, musty smell. He put his hand out to his friends: stay here. Then, one step at a time, he ventured into the room.

"Star?" he called, a little louder. "Starfire, are you there?" He stepped blindly forward, his arms outstretched.

He heard it before he saw it. The faintest buzzing sound came from his right, just ahead. The noise was almost instantly followed by a dim green glow. It illuminated very little, but he could make out a limp body in shackles – the only motivation he needed.

Robin made a mad dash for the source of light. "Starfire!" he cried. His boots made little noise against the damp, mold-eaten floor; he tripped over a bulky wooden object, but quickly regained his footing and knocked it out of the way as he passed.

He finally reached her motionless body. Light flickered out of her left hand. Robin approached her without restraint, not believing what he was seeing. She was collapsed on the floor, her knees underneath her. Chains held up her arms, which in turn lifted her upperbody off of the floor. Her head lolled on her chest, the muscles in her neck relaxed.

Robin angrily cut the chains with his bar before gently catching her body in midair. "Starfire! Starfire!" he pleaded in anguish, cradling her head in his lap. Tears leaked out from under his mask, but he ignored them. "Star. Please wake up. _Please!_"

Steadily, the light grew in intensity, and her breathing took on a normal beat. Time passed, Robin knew not how long, and she opened her mouth as if to speak.

"Is she alright?" asked Beast Boy. Robin hadn't heard or seen them come in.

"Robin…" she said weakly. His hand cupped her face, soothing her.

"I'm here. It's alright."

"Robin, I…I'm so cold…" She coughed. For the first time, Robin noticed her bruises. She had been beaten, and open wounds littered her wrists where the chains had cut into her flesh. His face hardened. Blackfire would pay.

Suddenly, his leadership instincts kicked back in. He stood up, supporting Starfire's body with his own. "She'll be fine," he murmured, both embarrassed at his show of emotion and angry that she'd been hurt.

_We've got her,_ He thought to Raven. A moment later: _Copy. Darkfire's almost finished. Keep me posted._

"Titans," he said through gritted teeth, bracing the girl as he walked to the door, "move out. We've got a mission to complete."


	12. Seriously Guys Let Me Know!

Uh… hello

Uh… hello? Testing, testing. Is anybody there?

I think I might ditch this story.

Yes, I've put this on my other one, but this story was kinda cool, I guess.

So maybe I won't?

I want to hear from you :D

If anyone is still out there, waiting for the next installment, let me know.

Even just one person.

One reply to this and I'll try to get ahold on a lost plotline.

Also, if anyone wants to tell me where they think I might have been going with this, _three years ago_, I'd love some insight!

I'll probably turn it in a whole 'nother direction, though, because I like surprises.

Yah anyway.

Check my profile for updates, if you care.

If not, I'm abandoning this.


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